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Join us online on Thursday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m. for another Virtual Talk: The Local and International Politics of Sarnia's Airborne Chemical Pollution During the 1960s and 1970s with Dr. Owen Temby.During the 1960s, Sarnia was the wealthiest...

Join us online on Thursday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m. for another Virtual Talk: The Local and International Politics of Sarnia's Airborne Chemical Pollution During the 1960s and 1970s with Dr. Owen Temby.During the 1960s, Sarnia was the wealthiest city in Ontario and the one with the dirtiest air. Chemical Valley firms and executives were civically active, donating to public causes, dominating the local chamber of commerce, and working closely with provincial and municipal officials to ensure a friendly business environment. They also maintained a monopoly on information about local air pollution levels and were not required by government to adhere to clean air regulations. However, like the rest of the chemical industry at the time, Chemical Valley was exposed to an onslaught of negative publicity, raising the threat of regulation and loss of their control over emissions data and production processes. The U.S.-Canadian International Joint Commission launched an investigation, and the resulting reports and binational policy initiatives throughout the 1970s represented a new era of pollution control in the region. In this presentation, Dr. Temby illustrates how powerful people in Sarnia initially prevented the problematization and regulation of air pollution, and how heightened public anxiety over the issue eventually attracted the scrutiny of the American and Canadian federal governments.Virtual talks are free and delivered via Zoom. Registration is required.  Register here.

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